Smoke abater



- w. KREFT March 3, 1931.

SMOKE ABATER Filed Oct.

FIG. 1

Pic; 2

[r2 venfar v WILLIAM KEEFT Affofmy Patented Mar. 3, 1931 UNHTED STATE$ WILLIAM KREF'I', OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI SMOKE ABATER Application filed October 22, 1927. Serial No. 227,893.

My invention relates to improvements in smoke abaters, and more particularly to a d vice of this character which will be neat and compact in appearance and construction,

simple, convenient, economical, sturdy, and etlicient and satisfactory for use wherever found applicable.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a device of the kind described, in

which any soot and other foreign matter that has accumulated Within the device may be shaken out from time to time, as the occasions demand, and without opening the stack, with little effort.

{5 Another of the objects of my invention is to provide a device of the kind described, which may be quickly, easily and conveniently placed into or removed from a smoke stack with which it co-operates, Whenever so desired or found necessary, for the purpose of repairing, inspecting, thorough cleaning or the like.

Another object of my invention is to so construct a device of the character described,

that the sizes and proportions of the parts will be such that the proper draft will be had, and so that the capacity of the stack at the point of installation of the abater will not be materially reduced. Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the kind described, wherein the gasesand solid particles carried through the stack will be given a somewhat tortuous path so that the solid particles will either drop back down the stack or lodge in or on the device while the gases pass therethrough and out the stack.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which this. invention appertains, from the disclosures herein given,

To thisend, my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described and more particularly pointed out in the claims. p

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the views,

Figure 1 is a vertical elevation, showing my improved device in place Within a stack, some of the parts being shown in section; and

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional View, taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, wherein I have indicated a preferred embodiment of my invention, there is shown a smoke stack A, of any suitable size, shape and material, the same being shown as being greatly enlarged at some point intermediate its ends, as at 1, this onlargement being provided so that the eflective area through the stack at this point, after the smoke abater or filter is in place therein, will not be materially reduced, as compared to the effective area of the stack at points to either side of this enlargement. At the top of the stack there is mounted a cowl 2, for well-known purposes.

A damper 3 is arranged within the stack,

above the enlarged portion 1 thereof, said damper being connected to an operating lever 4, which is in turn operably connected to a rigidly mounted arm 5, by means of a coil spring 6, the spring acting to retrieve the damper to open position after any pivotal movement of the operating lever 4. A chain 7 is connected at oneend to the free end of the lever i, and the other end of the chain is extended to any suitable distant point, so that a pull on the chain will act to close the damper, and upon releasing the pull, the spring will retrieve the damper to its open position.

A large opening 8 is formed through the side or wall of the stack at said enlarged portion, and a door is movably mounted on the stack so as to form a closure for said opening, as by hinges 10, or the like, said door being indicated at 9.

A support or rail 11 is mounted on theinside of the enlarged portion of the stack, and extends rearwardly and upwardly on an incline, away from said opening, said support having notches 12 adjacent its rear, for a purpose to be presently described.

The smoke abater per se, is indicated at B, and comprises a fiat, box-like structure to form a container or receptacle having a bounding wall 13 of a shape or outline to conform to the shape of the stack interior at said These apertures arepreferably so arranged that those along the top extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in whichthose at the bottom extend. In the drawing, these elongated apertures are shown as formed by placing a series of th n strips 16 across the top of the box, and "a second series of strips 17 across the bottom of the box. Half of the series of strips 16, to one side of the center, are spaced parallelto one another and are inclined from their lower to their upper parallel longitudinal edges, and the other half of the series 16, to the other side of the center, are similarly arranged, except that they are inclined in the opposite direction. The other set of strips 1?, onthe bottom of the box are divided-into two groups in the same way, the onlydifference beingthat all of the lower strips extend ina plane parallel to'and perpendicular to that in which the upper strips extend.

lVithin thereceptacle, in the space between the apertured top and bottom wall, I place a quantity offireeproofedfibrous material, C,

in such a way as to form a baflie or filter, to retard the passage of solid particles therethrough. A material that I have found highly desirable for the purpose is hemp that has been impregnated or; otherwise suitably treatedwith water-glass solution, so that the hemp thus initially treated will not burn out during I service; 'I have found that potash water-glass or potassium silicate is best fort-his purpose. The hemp is arranged in strands, and placed in layers superimposed onone another, the

strands of hemp in the adjacentlayerspreferably extending in mutually perpendicular 7 directions.

The gases flowing upwardly through the stack and carrying the solid particlesof soot andiother foreign substances therewith, encounter the abater B, and as they have a tortuous path therethrough, most of these solid particles will either fall back into the bottom offthe stack from whence they came, after impinging against the under side ofthe baflle, or will be caught or lodged therein, while permitting the cleared gases to continue up through the stack.

If it is found desirable, to remove the collection. of soot and other foreign matter contained within the box, the same can be done either by removing the box itself from the stack, or by shaking the box whileit is in the stack. Toaccomplish the latter, the box is provided with lugs 18 adjacent the rear thereof, these lugsbeing adapted to be received in and engage with the grooves or notches'12 provided at therear ofthe rail 11. As the box is slid'back to its proper positionwithin the stack, the lugswill drop into the notches,

supporting rail, to thereby shake out any solid particles that may have become lodgedtherein. This alternate or intermittent tilting and dropping movement of the box may be performeduntilthe boxis clear of sediment.

It is obvious that. thissoot dislodged by the shaking of the box wouldfly .up the stack if there were no means; provided to prevent this, and it. was for this purpose that .the damper was provided within the stack. The damper is held in its closed position while I the shaking is. being done, by pulling upon the chain/Z, and .upon release of the chain. the damper will be retrieved by. the spring, to its open position.

Inasmuch as the hemp thus treatedv with water-glass would betoo brittle for. with. standing handling and usage, this=brittle= ness can be counteracted orpreventedby. the use of graphite, preferably powdered, this graphite being used on the. hemp either before or duringv its impregnation with the water-glass.

It may be mentioned at thispoinuthat the slope or inclination of the box transversely within the stack, is shown as being approximately 15 to the horizontal, thisinclination having been found satisfactory, and thatthe area of the. stack at the enlarged.portion, wherein the. box is located, is approximately eight times as large as the area of the stack at either end of the enlargement. In this way there has been found to ,be no. reduction in the effective area of the draft opening due to the spaceoccupied bythe. box and'contents, and the efliciency of the furnace will not be impaired by too little. draft or chokmg. I

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without oleparting from the spirit of my invention;

hence I do not wish .to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described, or uses mentioned, except as limited by the claims.

What I claim as new. and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

1. A smoke abater comprising acontainer' having elongated narrow openings across the,

top and bottom thereof, said openings across,

the bottom extending in a direction trans verse to those openings across the top, and fire-proofed fiber in said container.

2. The combination with a smoke stack greatly enlarged intermediate its ends and provided with an opening through its side wall at said enlargement, a door covering said opening, a support within said stack at said opening and extending upwardly and rearwardly therefrom and provided with notches, of a smoke abater comprising a box adapted to be removably inserted into said stack through said opening and be slidably supported along said support, said box provided with lugs at the lower edge to engage with said notches to prevent accidental sliding movement of the box.

3. A smoke abater of the kind described, comprising a container having a series of elongated openings extending across the top and across the bottom thereof, all of the openings extending across the bottom being 7 transverse to those extending across the top,

and non-combustible material in said container between said top and bottom openlngs.

4. The combination with a smoke stack provided with an opening through its side wall, a door covering said opening, a support within said stack adjacent said opening and extending upwardly and rearwardly therefrom and provided with stops, of a smoke abater comprising a box adapted to be removably inserted into said stack through said opening and be slidably supported along said support, said box being provided with means co-operating with said stops to prevent accidental sliding movement of said box.

WILLIAM KREFT. 

